Saturday, December 29, 2007

A surprise package arrived just in time for Christmas from my SP10. She sent magazines and chocolate (yum!) for the girls and I all the way from the UK. Thank you so much! I enjoy receiving items that are not familiar to us here in the US.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Sugar cookie baking gets better and better every year. "This one is almost ready, Mommy. It needs some more 'ellow' on it" Have you ever baked cut-outs with a toddler or two? Oh, how sweet it is.

And just when you're wondering if you've had enough sugar, you find that recipe for the tree Mom made every Christmas morning.

It is made of a yeast-risen sweet dough. Use butter and green sugar on the limbs, form a tree shape, use butter, cinnamon and nuts for the trunk and top it off with a maraschino cherry. I can't remember a Christmas without one of these! Of course there was enough sweet dough to make sticky buns as well. And did I mention Aunt Ruth's toffee?

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Since our table of twenty for Thanksgiving, my girls have come to the conclusion that three toddler chairs are not enough at their table. Today I walked into the living room and found seating for nine. Cute, huh?

In knitting news, progress continues on the Christmas stocking for my youngest. All other knitting projects have been set aside in hopes of finishing this by Dec 25. I've abandoned the idea of adding a beaded snowflake to the brim of the hat. I had completed it and frogged it - looked nothing like a snowflake. I will probably end up adding the girl's names in duplicate stitch in order to distinguish between the two socks. But, I'd be happy to entertain more creative ideas.

Monday, November 26, 2007

We celebrated Thanksgiving by eating a huge feast at Mom and Dad's with a table of twenty guests. The meal was great. The turkey was tasty - of the fresh, grain-fed variety. I contributed mashed red-curry sweet potatoes - a recipe Mom found in Martha Stewart Living Nov 2007. They've got coconut milk and Thai red-curry paste in them. Believe me, these sweet potatoes are absolutely incredible! Try them sometime. Find the recipe within this article.

I can't talk about Thanksgiving without mentioning Uncle Bob. I see him about once a year - at Thanksgiving. Uncle Bob is a loud, obnoxious sort of guy, but this year he did not get on my nerves as much as he usually does. I could more easily shrug off his comments. One of our conversations went something like this:Bob: Do you have a job now?Me: Yes, I work all day long.Bob: Oh, you're home with the kids. What, you can't get a baby sitter!?

I just left it at that and next thing I know he's asking about the marital status of my parents' minister and shouting about how all divorced clergy ought to be kicked out of the church.

By the way, I took this photo in my folk's yard. I really like the way it shows the fall color.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

My Oldest WIP (work in progress) got a facelift. If you remember from a previous post, I knit this sweater back in October 1988 for my niece (now 21 years old!) My sister-in-law kindly found it and sent it to me for my girls to enjoy. I tried the sweater on my youngest the other day and realized I better get to work if I have any hope of her wearing it. She is growing so fast!

Fairly immediately (that's as immediately as a mother of two preschoolers can get), I set to work on salvaging as much yarn as possible from the neck placket. When I frogged the stitches I had picked up for the placket, I discovered that the neckline was still beautifully intact. Believe it or not, I still had the instructions for the sweater, so I was thinking I'd reknit the inset.

While I was working on the sweater yesterday, Marsha was with me and suggested a more up-to-date ribbed v-neck instead of the placket. That sounds easier, will use less yarn and ought to look great I thought. Let me tell you, it's a good thing I hang out with such brilliant people.

I ran with the idea, adding two rows of contrasting color at the border and cranked out the updated sweater last night. What do you think?

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

This past weekend we planted our new tree - a Bloodgood Japanese Maple. We also put in a couple perennials: a Spirea and a Nandina Domestica. I had tons of fun getting my hands in the dirt and I was reminded just how good that outdoor work feels. I enjoyed the dirt up under my fingernails, the smell of the soil and the cool autumn air under which we worked.

Our landscape plan around our new porch and walkway is finally taking shape. There are alot of plants I want to put in, but we'll take our time and do bit by bit.

Friday, November 02, 2007

I just found out that my friend became a grandmother (for the first time!) earlier this week. He was born on Monday, prematurely weighing in at 4 lbs 10 ozs. Mother and son are doing well, though still in the hospital. I forgot to ask his name.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Saturday we went to Longwood Gardens for the grand opening of the children's indoor garden. The garden was lovely with a childsized seashell-lined passageway and a childsized winding staircase. The children were intriqued by a fountain which was fed by bronze animal mouths from above. That fountain also spewed upward with small blurbs of water which little hands and teenaged-hands found fastinating in their attemt to catch. Occasionally, a child would lean out and look downward, getting gently splashed in the face.The grand opening of this amazing addition to the world famous Longwood Gardens included a fun-filled schedule: juggler's performance, bubble show, dancing rainforest creatures (by Annie Hickman) and kitemaking. We had a great time! My girls say they liked the insects (rainforest creatures) best!

Monday, October 29, 2007

My knitting buddies sure like the color of this yarn. Gina, remember when we looked at the ball band for this yarn and it had a name of #589? Your remark was something like "Oooh, aaah, that name does it justice, yes, # 589, drool." Whatever you said had me rolling on the floor with laughter. I've just learned now, that according to Rowan's site, this lovely color #589 does have a name - Majestic.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

For the past couple years, I've planted morning glories in the corner of the yard. This year the plant did particularly well; the opposite side of this fence looks just as lush. Against the fence hangs a rusty old bike frame that I pulled out of the creek (drainage ditch) that runs by our home. I'm an avid bicyclist in my past life and was intruiqued with the piece. My MIL and husband did not share my enthusiasm for the find and as a joke, nailed it prominently to the corner of the fence. "That looks great - perfect!", I said. Now the joke's on them. The bike frame has been hanging there ever since; you just can't see it this year due to the prolific morning glories.

See those ugly white lamp posts behind the beautiful morning glories in the photo to your right? You can't? Good! I hate those posts and I've hated them for the past four years. Thanks to another great idea from Marsha (Marsha has great ideas), this year I planted morning glories to hide the post. Why didn't I ever think of that? I thought to put morning glories in by the fence which now cover my beautiful bike frame.

The first time I planted them from 4" pots, I put them right into the ground at the base of the post. Little bunnies had a feast overnight, next morning, no plants! So, I bought new plants and put them in large pots thinking that maybe having the delicious plants up off the ground would deter the rabbits. I don't know if that's what did it or not. But, it worked.

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Today's commemorative link on Google's home page celebrates the 50th anniversary of Sputnik. It reminded me of my work as a cartographer for the USGS in Flagstaff, AZ from 1986- 1992. I worked in astrogeology mapping Mars using imagery from Viking missions. NASA's Viking Project found a place in history when it became the first U.S. mission to land a spacecraft safely on the surface of Mars and return images of the surface.

Our team was working on a control point atlas of Mars. I have no idea if that atlas has ever been published. Someday I should contact some of my colleagues there and find out the status of that project.

Checking out USGS's Flagstaff website allowed me to reminisce about the folks I used to work with there. Many of the people are still there. My closest friend at the USGS works with planetary nomenclature. She names new stuff being discovered out there: planets' moons, other small bodies orbitting the sun in our solar system (yep, small bodies is the technical term for stuff such as astroids and comets) and beyond (nebulea and stars) How cool is that?

I worked with an amazing group of people there including Carolyn and Gene Shoemaker - a very kind and lovely couple. Carolyn is the most successful "comet hunter" to date.

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Here's progress so far on the Christmas stocking I'm knitting for my youngest daughter. There are about 120 charted rows and I've completed 20 rows. It makes the greatest snowman stocking. This post shows the same stocking I made for my older daughter. I want to incorporate some sort of change in the second stocking. I'm thinking a colorful stripe in the hat or a beaded snowflake added to hat brim.I've got several gifts I'd like to finish in time for Christmas (in order of priority):This Christmas stockingHat for my husbandMiniature stocking ornaments (3 of them!)

Monday, October 01, 2007

I found Socktoberfest 2007 and count me in. It sounds like fun, huh? Besides it is just the excuse I need to buy yet another skein of sock yarn. I visited BunkyBoBo's shop on Etsy. The seller is new to Etsy and I met her through blogging. She is a great correspondent, fellow knitter and now new found friend. Her handdyed yarns look luscious; I'm eyeing up Pumpkin Patch and Basilisk. For socktoberfest it has gotta be Pumpkin Patch. don't you think?

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

My baby will be two years old on Saturday and it feels terrible. I'm not ready for it. I'm just not ready for her to be out of diapers and wanting to do things all on her own. I don't want her to grow up.

While in Burlington, VT this summer a man in a parking garage saw us, smiled and commented "The twos are terrific, all that discovery of independence!" I think I'll always remember him saying that. Think about it. It is an amazing time. Right now, it feels painful.

Maybe if I never finish the 2T-3T sweater I'm knitting for her, she'll never grow up.

Sunday, September 09, 2007

I have not sewn anything for a long time, but when Marsha turned me towards this pattern for Cloth Baby Shoes, I pulled out the sewing machine. They are so cute, I just had to make 'em. I don't even have a baby in mind for these.

Thursday, September 06, 2007

The baby socks are done. I think they turned out great and pair nicely with the simple hat. Not much else in knitting news, progress is slow on the Debbie Bliss jacket. It's alot of stockinette stitch with baby cashmerino on size 3 needles - a dream to work with, but it's taking me forever.

Thursday, August 30, 2007

I have a friend who once took his older car to have the air conditioning fixed. The service department contacted him to explain that his car is not equipped with air conditioning. Tell me, do you have any stories like this? Here's one of mine.

Today I'm sure I was the laughing stock of Nikon's Customer Service Department. My Nikon D50 works fine and I feel like an idiot because it was never broken. I hate to admit it, but I thought there was a problem with the monitor. Wake up, Beth, the D50 is an SLR! Perhaps it time to read the manual or take a photography course.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

See that Nikon D50 pictured above? It is not working - again! How did I get the picture you ask? I took it with my Canon PowerShot SD450 which has never given me any problems. Take that Nikon! Because I've owned it less than one year, it is still under warranty. I will call them tomorrow, they owe me a replacement.

The last time it stopped working I called and they talked me through fixing it by pressing the hidden reset button on the bottom of the camera base. Tomorrow I will refuse to reset again. I've got important photos to take: birthdays coming up, first day of school, Halloween, Christmas...

Sunday, August 26, 2007

We celebrated T's fourth birthday with family members yesterday - lots of food, swimming and presents. I told T. it was her party day and her birthday was coming up soon. This morning when she woke up, the first words out of her mouth were "Am I Four Yet?" How cute is that? On opening most every gift, she got this big smile on her face and said - "Just what I needed on my birthday!" She sang along to "Happy Birthday" and had no trouble blowing out four candles. You have no idea how much this enthusiasm means to me.

The celebration will continue this week as the four of us go out for dinner and as we get together with a small group of T's closest friends.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Bold for stuff you’ve done,italics for stuff you plan to do one day, andnormal for stuff you’re not planning on doing.

Afghan/BlanketI-CORDGarter stitchKnitting with metal wireShawlStockinette stitchSocks: top-downSocks: toe-upKnitting with camel yarnMittens: Cuff-upMittens: Tip-downHatKnitting with silkMoebius band knittingParticipating in a KALSweaterDrop stitch patternsKnitting with recycled/secondhand yarnSlip stitch patternsKnitting with banana fiber yarnDomino knitting (modular knitting)Twisted stitch patternsKnitting with bamboo yarnTwo end knittingCharity knittingKnitting with soy yarnToy/doll clothingKnitting with circular needlesKnitting with your own handspun yarnSlippersGraffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)Continental knittingDesigning knitted garmentsCable stitch patternsLace patternsPublishing a knitting bookScarfTeaching a child to knitAmerican/English knitting (as opposed to continental)Knitting to make moneyButton holesKnitting with alpacaFair Isle knittingNorwegian knittingDying with plant colorsKnitting items for a weddingHousehold items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies…)Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circularsOlympic knittingKnitting with someone else’s handspun yarnKnitting with DPNsHoliday related knittingTeaching a male how to knitBobblesKnitting for a livingKnitting with cottonKnitting smockingDying yarnSteeksKnitting artFulling/feltingKnitting with woolTextured knittingKitchener BOPurses/bagsKnitting with beadsSwatchingLong Tail COEntrelacKnitting and purling backwards huh?Machine knittingKnitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegating yarnStuffed toysBaby itemsKnitting with cashmereDarningJewelryKnitting with synthetic yarnWriting a patternGlovesIntarsiaKnitting with linenKnitting for preemiesTubular COFreeform knittingShort rowsCuffs/fingerless mitts/arm warmersPillowsKnitting a pattern from an online knitting magazineRugKnitting on a loomThrummed knittingKnitting a giftKnitting for petsShrug/bolero/ponchoKnitting with dog/cat hair (never, but I know someone who has!)Hair accessoriesKnitting in public

Friday, August 17, 2007

Many thanks to Shawnee who has spoiled me rotten in the No Sheep For You Swap! Look what I got in package two: 2 skeins of Pakucho 100% organic cotton in lovely green tones, a tube of Udderly Smooth cream, notepad and candies. Shawnee hit the nail on the head with this yarn selection for me. I'm wild about the color. The last time I knitted with organic cotton I made this sweater/hat set for A. I have no other organic cotton in my stash, so I'll be picking up this Pakucho soon!

Now, more on the candies. I've eaten Pop Rocks before, probably back in the 70's and I've had Tootsie Rolls since who knows when, but where was I when Nerds showed up on the market? I eagerly opened the candy's clever packaging - grape packaged on one side and strawberry on the other. You slide a little piece of cardboard back and forth to close the box or dispense the candies. How fun is that! Let me tell you, these little crunchy candies are packed full of flavor! I love them. And here I thought my husband was the only nerd I loved!

Thanks again Shawnee for a lovely package and for introducing me to Nerds.

A lovely package arrived awhile back. I think it was right before the 4th of July and our second trip to the shore for this Summer. It was a busy time and I have not been up to my usual tricks on the PC since. Poor excuse I know.

Anyway, did I mention it is such a lovely package from my No Sheep For You Pal? See in the photo, I got two skeins of Bouton d'Or New Bamboo (color 078), which I already have on needles. I'm making a pair of baby socks as a gift for my friend, A. Along with the yarn I got ladybug tissues and a little ladybug handwritten note.

Sunday, July 01, 2007

On researching why I am getting the "err" message on my Nikon D50, I found this and this to be most helpful. I've tryed a different memory card, a fully charged battery, removing and replacing the lens and none of those worked. Besides Jonathan Ryan suggests if the message has appeared for a third time, as mine has, it is time to return the camera. I only hope my husband saved the purchase receipt.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

The last time I was in the theatre my husband and I saw Babel. We got popcorn*. Last night I saw Pirates of the Caribbean At World's End with two girlfriends. We did NOT get popcorn*. They talked me into to going, it did not take too much talking. It was the first I had seen of the Pirates movies. Yes, I really am that out of the "in"!

Now, I so want to see the first and second movies and now I may have to add these to my "to knit" list.

*I was not allowed to get popcorn or buy anything at a movie as a kid. So, having popcorn at a movie always reminds me of going on dates. I actually remember saying on dates, "you mean I can get popcorn if I want it"!

Monday, June 25, 2007

We had a wonderful family time at Bethany Beach in celebration of my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. The damper was that my father ended up being admitted to the hospital the Thursday night of our stay (June 21). He was showing signs of a mini stroke (TIA) and after a serious of tests that turned out to be the diagnoses. On a good note, he was discharged this morning, has no lasting damage and can resume normal activity.

As far as knitting is concerned, I got alot done there. I finished the Panda Cotton toe-up socks and the Simple Baby Hat from Debbie Bliss Baby Knits For Beginners. I'll be posting photos as soon as I can get rid of the error message on my new Nikon D50. Urgh!

So, my SP10 remembered I wanted to try some bamboo yarn and spoiled me with some. She thought of me when in an antique shop and spoiled me with a painted egg leaflet from there. Somehow she knew I was in need of something to keep the moths away and spoiled me with the lavendar sachet. You did make the card right? I like it best of all the items in the package. I have it displayed prominently in my kitchen to remind me to get knitting!

I have been so well spoiled. So fortunate am I to have been paired with you for this exchange. You've put together packages as if you've known me forever, really!

Sunday, June 10, 2007

This post is especially for you, Marsha. You asked for pattern suggestions using a single skein of Mango Moon Recycled Silk. A few years ago I saw scarf in "Unraveled" (a lovely local shop which unfortunately had to close) made with the yarn, admired it and jotted down the pattern on a scrap of paper. Of course, now I can't find the scrap of paper.

But, I just e-mailed Joy who used to work at the shop and she knew exactly what scarf I was talking about. She wrote to me in reply:

"Yes, I remember the scarf and the pattern. Her Aunt Carol had made it using “purse stitch”.

On an even number of sts.K1, *yo, p2tog* rep between *s, end k1.Rep this row.

Saturday, June 09, 2007

This morning the girls and I headed out early to pick strawberries at Highland Orchards. We went out to the fields just behind some other pickers who looked much more experienced than us. I overheard them in line talking about what type of leg wear was most appropriate for picking and one woman asked me "are THEY going to pick too?" I simply replied "yes".

The girls did a great job. It did not take us long to pick 3 1/2 lbs of berries. We remembered to take our carton from last year and got a 35 cent discount on our total. The berries cost about $8.00. It was sunny and hot in the fields, next year we'll have to remember our hats!

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Today I signed up for Knitter's Day Out (KDO). I've been there twice before. It's a great opportunity to spend the day with others who share my passion for knitting and to take some classes at a very reasonable price.

Now look at the photo. See the lady in pink? I was sitting to her left.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

I received another brilliant package from my SP10. The latest issue of Simply Knitting, needle case, lady bug buttons (oh, so cute), knitting needles and a skien of lovely Hip Knits silk yarn in 'eat your greens' shade. You've gotta love it for that name alone. Trust me, though, it feels great. The yarn is hand dyed 100% silk, 180 metres to 100g, recommended needle size - 5mm/US8. It's available at www.hipknits.co.uk. They say that one skein is perfect for a hat, scarf or small bag. That suits me just fine. SP10 even thought to send a scarf pattern my way - I'll get that via e-mail.

Your parcel arrived just in time to bring a smile to my face on a difficult day.Thanks so much!

Along with the great yarn are some yummy candies local for my SP10, a bar of chocolate orange soap and a postcard from her recent trip to Scotland. Is she aware that I save every postcard I receive and of my fondness for maps? In my life before motherhood, I worked as a cartographer.

SP10 even thought to send gifts for my girls. They were so excited to share in the opening of the package. Of course we read the book right away and we tryed on all the fancy hair accessaries. It was so thoughtful of you to think of them and to individually wrap and label their gifts!

By the way, this idea of several posts in a row is my feeble attempt to get around the fact that when I try to write a post and include multiple images it always ends up looking awful.

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Saturday, May 12, 2007

While walking around town today, waiting for the Grower's Market to open, I stumbled upon a garage sale. I don't think I need to justify these purchases, do I? My favorite item is hard to see in this photo. It's a small blue enamel pot with lid, just the right size for a child's kitchen - price, 5 cents.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Monday, May 07, 2007

This week I've got two FOs (Finished Objects)to share with you. From the colors I chose, it looks like you ought to be washing your dishes in your thong huh? I sent off the dishcloth to my SP10 and the thong to my sister-in-law.

It feels so good to have these two smaller projects completed. I told myself I was not going to CO my next Wallaby until these were off the needles. Yesterday I started, I CO the Wallaby sleeves for a friend's new baby. She's due in 3 weeks, my goal is to have the sleeves done by the time the baby arrives. I'm making a 2T, so baby will have plenty of time to grow into it.

Saturday, April 28, 2007

I learned to knit back in the 1970's. For several years during the 80's and 90's I did no knitting at all. In my free time, I enjoyed making pysanky, Ukrainian Easter eggs.

My good friend, Lisa, taught me how to make the eggs. We did not have any Ukrainian background, just a how-to book and a keen interest. My now husband and I shared this pasttime while we were dating. I taught him how to make the eggs and we'd make them as Easter and Christmas gifts.

This year at Easter time, I dug out the old box of eggs and displayed them. The eggs in the ceramic egg crate (a gift from Mom) are large chicken eggs and the egg on the left is a peewee egg from a farm in Arizona. In storage I also have goose and ostrich egg shells waiting to be dyed.

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Marsha tagged me for this back in December and I'm finally getting around to it. I must be feeling particularly weird today.

THE RULES: Each player of this game starts with "Six Weird Things About Me." People who get tagged need to write a blog entry about their own six weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to tag six people and list their names. Don’t forget to write "You are tagged" in their comments and tell them to read your blog to find out what that means.

If you are sure you really want to learn six weird things about me, read on.

1. I watch very little TV, but when I do I like watching those Texas Hold 'Em poker tournaments.

2. I like to wash my feet before I go to bed.

3. My career in the fast food industry lasted 12 hours at McDonald's.

4. I don't have any fillings in my teeth.

5. This one is hard to explain. Here goes. When I eat from my plate, I eat around my plate so as not to complete any item entirely. For example, if I have chicken, potatoes and peas on my plate, I would eat some of each until only a bite of each remains. If I start to look low on potatoes, I either serve myself more or take an extra bite of chicken and peas to catch up.

6. I hate hearing the sound of people misusing the words: "fewer" and "less". Off the top of my head, I can't explain the grammatical rule, but I swear I can hear the misuse and it really is annoying to me. It's like hearing fingernails down a chalkboard.

Do I really have to tag six people now, I hate chain letters?

PS - My husband does not have a blog. Shucks - I would definitely tag him. You know that dangly thing at the back of your throat, your uvula. He has two. Now wait a minute, I just checked the spelling of "uvula" and learned that some people have a forked uvula. Maybe his is forked and he's not so weird afterall.

Monday, April 16, 2007

Today a package arrived from my Secret Pal. It made it across the Atlanitc, through a mid-April snowstorm and safely to my mailbox. Lucky for me! Look at the contents: cashmere yarn, size 1.5, 5" dpn, "Knitting" magazine from the UK, Belguim chocolates and cookie cutters? Did I mention the cashmere yarn? It is the only cashmere yarn I have ever owned and it is oh, so soft. Take a look at the colorway, it's perfect for me. I just want to keep touching it - I will definitely make something for myself with this yarn. SP10, is the cashmere you sent the 4-ply sock yarn you mention in your note? Have you made socks with cashmere?

I broke into the chocolates so fast, I forgot to photograph them before eating the milk chocolate covered whole hazelnut, see the crumpled foil wrap?

Sunday, April 15, 2007

I've never worn a thong in my life. So, what was it that struck me about this Lacy Thong in my Interweave Knits Spring 2007 issue? Maybe it was the thong as a quick knit. Or more likely, it was the fact that I recently had some corrective surgery and feel ready for a little lacy, sexy boost.

Sunday, April 01, 2007

Friday morning I sat down to CO a moebius scarf. I frogged the first moebius scarf, when my Denise needle came apart and I dropped a bunch of stitches.

I picked up my new 52" Denise cable and carefully followed instructions for the CO. It felt so wonderful. The stitches seemed to take to my needles like soft butter to fresh warm bread. I was in the knitting zone. Oh, yea. This is why I knit.

Thursday, March 29, 2007

I've been looking at my artyarns supermerino all winter and finally finished a hat, just in time for spring! I am most proud of this hat for the way I completed the top. After knitting the hat once, I realized it was too short to fit down over the ears. So, I frogged the top 1/3, planning to finish off the top with a good length of Knit Picks' Andean Silk, chocolate.

After a few rounds, I saw how the Knit Picks chocolate blended so nicely with the Artyarn that I ended up striping the chocolate with the Artyarn for what I think is a beautiful finish. Now that the hat is all said and done, the remaining artyarn measures only about 20 inches - that's calling it close!

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Today at the grocery store a man stopped me as I was choosing a cantelope from the display at the front of the store. "You don't want that cantelope. You don't know anything about Economics. The cantelopes in the back are better. They put the lousy looking ones up here. Let me tell you a story, I'll keep it short. I used to work for Pep Boys and one day the manager had me bring some ugly looking sunglasses from the back. We put them on display up front and jacked up the price and they sold like hotcakes! That's Econonmics 101." The man walked out of the store.